Further to my previous post on this car I wonder if the Mazda sponsorship is of significance here. That is , was this car Mazda Rotary powered perhaps?

Mating a Mazda Rotary to a VW transaxle wasn't unheard of back then. They were an alternative powerplant to the VW's in the Purvis Eureka kit cars around this time.

Anyone able to check entry details when this car competed at the Farm?

I doubt it since this pic is 1969 when rotarys would have been a very rare thing in Oz. Though a viable concept ofcourse. The VW gearboxes are not very strong, even the Hewland versions. Though rotarys would have had less power then than now and a 10A would probabl have been the only one advailable then.

And there's no doubt there's not a rotary in the Brolga at all. You wouldn't have heard another car on the circuit.

These photos show a typically busy Marque sports race at Oran Park with my Turner in front of Iain Corness in the twin cam powered MGB and the MG Midgets of Barry Bassingthwaite and Les Carne. Barry's car is the left hand drive Midget. I don't recall the particular race but from the wheel widths on the Turner it looks like sometime in 1970/71. Iain certainly sems to be doing his very best to flat spot the Bee's left front tyre!!!

I think the Brolga shown in the photos at Warwick Farm was driven by Graham Woods who also had a quick MGB and is shown in other photos here driving Clive Osborne's low line Cooper T53.

These photos show a typically busy Marque sports race at Oran Park with my Turner in front of Iain Corness in the twin cam powered MGB and the MG Midgets of Barry Bassingthwaite and Les Carne. Barry's car is the left hand drive Midget. I don't recall the particular race but from the wheel widths on the Turner it looks like sometime in 1970/71. Iain certainly seems to be doing his very best to flat spot the Bee's left front tyre!!!

Unfortunately for you, he didn't flat spot them quite enough....my next (& last) two shots from the race.

Unfortunately for you, he didn't flat spot them quite enough....my next (& last) two shots from the race.

Yes indeed - the desperate braking efforts do seem to have got him somewhere and, now that I see the full sequence, I can recall the race. Your last two shots show us going into Energol on the final two laps after Iain had very cleverly managed to have me boxed in behind some lapped traffic on the approach to the dogleg giving him the opportunity to dive past on the second last lap and take the lead I had held all the way until then. As these shots also show we had both by then managed to pull away from the pair of Midgets and the rest. This race and Iain's well judged pass was the subject of several posts some time back on the Marque Sports thread in which Iain confessed about his gamesmanship with the back markers which created the opening for him. Great photos and thanks for posting them as they bring back some very pleasant memories.

Yes indeed - the desperate braking efforts do seem to have got him somewhere and, now that I see the full sequence, I can recall the race. Your last two shots show us going into Energol on the final two laps after Iain had very cleverly managed to have me boxed in behind some lapped traffic on the approach to the dogleg giving him the opportunity to dive past on the second last lap and take the lead I had held all the way until then. As these shots also show we had both by then managed to pull away from the pair of Midgets and the rest. This race and Iain's well judged pass was the subject of several posts some time back on the Marque Sports thread in which Iain confessed about his gamesmanship with the back markers which created the opening for him. Great photos and thanks for posting them as they bring back some very pleasant memories.

I've just been looking at that thread & there's a photo (Dec 19 2009) which must have been taken about three seconds after my second last shot.(I could have used "penultimate", but that's a bit too "Murray Walker" for me.)

Reading through the MS thread, it appears that CAMS couldn't stand the minor rule bending that brought about the success of your class, & decided to change it.

Clubman racing was at its best with the invitation 1500cc cars, & was left alone.

For several years, Sports cars produced seriously good races which even caught the attention of the tin-top junkies, proving that all that was wanted was a good close race.

In later years, the politics were obviously different when Nissan got Godzilla under the radar, & we saw a Sports car win the Touring Car Championship.

I've just been looking at that thread & there's a photo (Dec 19 2009) which must have been taken about three seconds after my second last shot.(I could have used "penultimate", but that's a bit too "Murray Walker" for me.)

Reading through the MS thread, it appears that CAMS couldn't stand the minor rule bending that brought about the success of your class, & decided to change it.

Clubman racing was at its best with the invitation 1500cc cars, & was left alone.

For several years, Sports cars produced seriously good races which even caught the attention of the tin-top junkies, proving that all that was wanted was a good close race.

In later years, the politics were obviously different when Nissan got Godzilla under the radar, & we saw a Sports car win the Touring Car Championship.

Two days ago, these photos were just forgotten negatives.

I calculated today that I have around 1500 yet to scan!!!

Lynton

Lynton dont forget those other Japanese Sports Cars in Gp C. The horribly noisy ones that CAMS went out of their way to make outright winners from a good 3 litre class car.

Indeed he did, and I also seem to recall that he also drove it in the Redex Round Australia Trial

Talking about 'Super Snipes' I travelled to the 'Wiamati 50' with my Father and his friend, from Christchurch to the Waimati race ,leaving at 5AM (cold ,dark start to the day,but what an adventure when your young!!)in a Large 'dark green,grey leather interior, state of the art',1956 Humber Super Snipe by the Rootes Group,(they possibly weighed in about a ton and a half at a guess) this would be around 1957/8.

As the grey morning light started to break my Father (Dad!!) subjested I look over from my back seat position and look at the speedo....WOW!!!!...IOOMPH !!!!

Went to school on Monday and excitedly told anybody that would listen,..."I went 100MPH in my Dads car on the weekend"!!!!!!...Standard reply was... " BULLS^*#T"!!!!!!!

............Oh!! the memories that a single picture can revive!! ...........................Regards thunder427

Originally posted by seldoIndeed he did, and I also seem to recall that he also drove it in the Red-Ex Round Australia Trial

He did, at least once...

It was his Humber that picked up a rock on a creek crossing, dug it out of the ground ready to lie in wait for the following Holden of Jack Brabham. To which the rock did enormous damage and Jack had to fix it out there himself.

After the long walk from Mt Druitt station up the slope through the strawlike grass to Tyresoles Corner on the Sunday am of the 1954 24 Hour Race, the first car I saw was the Tom Sulman Humber S/Snipe, absolutely filthy/ no muffler/lurching around Tyresoles looking just like it would have in Central Australia/Redex Trial. Looked like a hippopotamus in a bog.

And my friend Paul Kenny started his 1950s motor sporting career in a Humber S/Snipe. He still carries the psychological scars

Over 40 years ago I was involved in a bush 'Speedway' A chap who worked in a wreckers came up with a 55 or so Snipe. The thing did more damage in its fairly short career than anything else. Because it handled like a supermarket trolley and was so heavy.His next project was far better, a grey motor in a Simca!
And Myles, I am sure the thing weighed about 2 ton!!And the Blue Riband 6 was the same motor used in Commer Trucks.